


The secret marriage never can be broken

by stjarna



Series: Season 4 - Coda Challenge [30]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Post-Framework, angst with a hopeful end, based on online article/interview, help I have written another post-framework fic and I can't get up, spec fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 22:19:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10863237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stjarna/pseuds/stjarna
Summary: Inspired by the Entertainment Weekly interview with Liz and Iain[May contain spoilerish information for 4x21 and 4x22]





	The secret marriage never can be broken

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AGL03](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AGL03/gifts).



> Title from “The Secret Marriage” by Sting (aka 'Hey look, I managed to name a fic after something besides Mumford and Sons lyrics!)
> 
> For AGL03, 'cause at this point I might as well gift _all_ my Framework related fics to her, 'cause they're all somehow related to something she posted or told me in chat.
> 
> Big thank you to AgentsofSuperwholocked for the quick beta!

He’s leaning on the holo table, staring at the designs in front of him, his eyes wandering aimlessly from image to image. “I can’t do this.”

There’s defeat in his voice and yet Jemma feels unable to focus on it, her hands frantically moving from one translucent, projected object to the next.

“We’ll figure it out,” she replies almost absentmindedly, almost by reflex, almost without meaning, because right now time is against them and she cannot allow herself to fail, cannot fail when the world is at stake, when she has to live minute by minute, fight second by second just to keep from breaking down after everything. _Everything_!

“No. I can’t. I _can’t_ figure this out.” His voice is loud and angry, full of frustration and fear. It rips through the room like a shock wave blazing away everything in its path, leaving only the two of them behind in an empty echo chamber.

Jemma looks at him, his fearful eyes, the guilt buried behind them, the doubt, the self-hate and the protective wall she’d tried to build to make it through this final battle to save the world breaks.

Suddenly the world around them doesn’t matter, because they can’t save that world when their inner worlds lay shattered to pieces. There’s no use in stitching up the wounds of the body when the heart inside of it is bleeding out. His heart is bleeding and hers is as well and they can’t reach the safe shore if they’re drowning in their own blood and guilt and fears.

She thinks of what she’d just said. Inattentively. Thrown away like a meaningless piece of trash. But it wasn’t. It shouldn’t be. What she’d said was a treasure. The truth. Right there in front of her.

“Maybe _you_ can’t, Fitz. And _I_ can’t. But _together_ we can. _We_ will figure this out. _We_ will fix this. Like we _always_ do. _Together!_ You and me. No matter what. In good times and bad. Sickness and health. ‘Till death do us part! We can _do_ this!”

He looks at her wide-eyed. “Did you just recite a wedding vow?”

It seems like such an odd thing to ask in the middle of the apocalypse, and yet it makes her pause as she realizes that time doesn’t matter and the dying world around them doesn’t matter, if they can’t come together and work things out.

She nods confidently. “Yes. Yes, I did. ‘Cause maybe this is not the right time to talk about this or _think_ about this but I _want_ to marry you, Fitz. I don’t care if it’s a year from now or ten or a _hundred_ , but once this is over, once we’ve _talked_ and _healed_ , I want to marry you. I want a _stupid_ piece of paper telling the world, telling the bloody _cosmos_ that no matter what they throw our way, they will _not_ rip us apart. I want a _stupid_ piece of paper telling _everyone_ , telling **_us_** that no matter what we belong together and we will _always_ find a way back to each because our love prevails! Our love will _always_ prevail! Because we’ve done this all before, Fitz, and there’s no doubt in my mind that we can do it again and again no matter what! And eventually, one day, _one day_ the pain will fade and we will be left with the _good_ times and the _health_ and until then, I will be by your side through the pain and the bad times. And maybe I won’t get that _stupid_ piece of paper for another five years or fifty, but no one and _nothing_ can stop me from making this vow to you right now! Apocalypse be damned!”

Silence settles in the room, a strange sense of serenity and peace. His eyes are fixed on hers and Jemma feels as if she can hear him reciting her speech in his mind, evaluating it, forming his own opinion.

The corner of his mouth twitches barely noticeably, before he slowly extends his right hand across the holo table through the tech designs. “In good times and bad.”

She can’t help but smile, placing her palm in his. “In good times and bad.”

He gently squeezes her hand and nods, as a flash of happiness briefly lightens his features. “Let’s fix this then.”

“Together.”

**Author's Note:**

> ‘Cause marriage for them might be very far off, but no one said anything about marriage _talk_ being far off. Also “They have to be able to communicate to try to fix this issue.” HUZZAH! COMMUNICATION AND FIXING THINGS TOGETHER!


End file.
